All For You
by Momma Mustang
Summary: [RoyEd RoseOCEd] It's Rose's birthday, and three people intend to make it a very special day. [Written for Rose M.]
1. Part One

ALL RIGHT! 

This is something I have spent a good portion of the last day writing, just for Rose. I don't usually have this much dedication, but… well, I dunno, the idea attacked, and I couldn't resist. Anyhow, I was going to have it a one-shot, but… it turned out to be a little over nine thousand words, and trust me, Rose does /not/ have the attention span to deal with it, so, I'll be separating it into chapters. Short chapters, sure, but chapters nonetheless.

This was written for her character Rose's birthday. Don't like OCs? Too bad, I do.

**Disclaimer: Rose, Kari, Recka, Sheila and Sane all belong to Princess.**

**WARNING: There is a /lot/ of OOCness in here. And Rose? You should probably stray away from eating or drinking or having anything in your immediate vicinity when you read this, for yours and everyone else's sake. xD Love you, and here you are. And, as for Recka's speech? I don't have any kids her age, so I went with the 'cute' approach. Deal.**

_Pairings:_ RoyEd, RoseEd, if you look at it and care to think of that way RoyEdRose.

* * *

"Shh!"

She groaned, shifting under the blankets and tugging the pillow closer to her head. She was sure it was quite early in the morning, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with… giggling?

"Dammit, shush!" The oldest voice intervened, however, his own, rather strangely high pitched giggles filled the room, two others joining the sound of the eldest, earning a definite frown from her. To be honest, she was exhausted, and was /not/ in the mood to deal with them. Hell, she didn't even know /who/ 'them' was.

"You're laughing too, bastard!" A younger voice hissed, an 'oof' sound coming from the older whose giggling only paused briefly.

She groaned again, rolling over and burying her face further into the pillow. "If that's Roy and Ed, tell them they can go away."

"Wose!" There was a rather excited squeal beside her ear, forcing the girl to wince and her two companions' laughter to be come muffled, though it still did not hide much of anything, really. "Up! Woy an' Ed haff pwans!" The sound of a small body jumping up and down, heavy breathing that was all too familiar entering her ear, the bed, which she had assumed the girl used to help bounce herself moving, only adding to the fact that they would not allow her the sleep she so greatly desired.

Blue eyes opened, a fierce glare on the three who had entered her room, not at the house that she had stayed with Roy in for the last three years, but the one Sheila and Sane had offered to her, ever since the falling out with her Uncle. To be honest, she wasn't all that keen on seeing the stupid man, his lover, and whoever the kid was, though she remembered vaguely that Sheila and Sane mentioned her. It wasn't really any of her business. "What do you want?! It's – " Her words stopped, looking over at the clock briefly before nearly lashing out with her fist to hit the dark-haired male, the closest one that she felt comfortable hitting. " – Four in the morning!"

Dark eyes danced lightly, flicking on the lights of the room and tossing a box at her. "Rise and shine, Sunshine."

The golden-haired youth beside him placed a hand on is hip, reaching into his own pocket and pulling something of his own out, while the young child followed suit with yet a third box.

"What's… this?"

"Open 'em!" The young girl replied, glancing back at the other two who suddenly broke out into fits of laughter once more. "Birfday!"

"Today is a day to celebrate. Open them, Rose. We want you to wear them." The tallest of the three said carefully. His voice was low, actually a bit kind, compared to what she had heard lately, and to be honest, she loved that sound more than anything. He was a gentle man; this was a side she wanted to see more often, but… ever since Edward…

"'Birfday?'

Roy chuckled again. "Birthday, Rose. Now shut up and open them, it was hell finding the right things for you. I never was good at shopping, you know. Recka here helped us." His hand fell onto the head of the young child, a very small but fond smile lifting his lips as he gazed upon her, a look he had once granted to her, and one she missed dearly.

"Yeah, so hurry it up!" Edward broke in, repressing a yawn. For the three of them to be up so early, they had to be very dedicated. It was scary, actually.

She snorted. "Fine, and then you can go."

"Nuh!" Recka protested, but Ed silenced her with a scolding tap on her shoulder, nodding when he got her attention to watch and be silent for the moment. They had plans for today, and Rose was not going to ruin them. Roy and Recka worked their asses off, and Ed put the final touches on everything to make it perfect. Nothing was going to ruin it.

Instead of arguing further with the two of them, she set about to work on the ribbons, a beautiful blue that made her almost grin at the fact that Roy had managed to remember that. It was a beautiful wrapping job, to be sure. Inside, as she pulled the wrapping paper and tissue paper off and discarded it onto the floor, she discovered a rather tasteful (despite her great hate for dresses) ice blue dress, that swept to her knees, it seemed, was sleeveless, and yet, not incredibly tight or uncomfortable, flowing and relying on a system of fabric that 'webbed' together around the neck to support it. Not something she would usually wear, but young Recka's eyes lit up as she pulled it out, and though she still harbored a great anger at her Uncle and his lover, she couldn't bring herself to be hateful towards the child. "It's beautiful…" She murmured, leaning over to hug the girl that held her arms wide open, just begging for a hug.

"Da shoos!" She said, jumping again after Rose pulled away, pointing back into the box Roy had given her. Ice blue shoes, more appropriately called sandals rested inside, a slight rise in the heel. They were definitely alchemically made; she hadn't seen anything like them inside a store before. "Woy dwew da pikiture an' Ed made 'em!"

Rose repressed a small laugh at the enthusiastic girl, shaking her head and lifting the box that Recka had handed to her, being stopped by the youthful child. "Nuh! Ed! Open Ed's!" She ordered, an authority she had seen in her Uncle oftentimes.

"All right, all right!" She grinned, going back to work and unwrapping the box Edward had given to her. Inside sat a pocket watch, silver in color and similar to the one the state issued, but with a rather strange symbol on it. It really just looked like a group of lines that had been thrown together, but she hadn't bothered to ask. They probably had Recka design that one, and they seemed pleased that she had not asked about it. Lastly, she picked up the longest, yet thinnest box of them all, finding a locket within that one, also silver with a floral design on the front. "What's this…?" She asked, her voice a mere whisper.

Roy's trademark smirk appeared, leaning forward as Ed tried to copy, only managing to come up with his own version. The Mustang smirk was not something that could be copied. His voice had dropped to a whisper, almost inaudible. "Why don't you open it and see?"

She glanced away, Ed giving an all-knowing shrug, and Recka nodding eagerly. Sighing to herself, believing she could get rid of them faster, she obliged, opening it to reveal the two sides. There was one of who, at first, she thought was her, only to catch darker eyes and a presence of a bit of age, meaning it was her mother. The second place was empty, she assumed left to place something of her own choosing in. Her eyes made a turn, resisting the tears in her eyes. She had no photos of her mother, really, just her memory. Roy never mentioned that he had any, and she had never thought to ask.

"It's the last one I had, shortly before I left. I thought you might like to have it. That other spot? It's for a family photo. Now get dressed, we're leaving."


	2. Part Two

Part Two of Eight

* * *

"It's the last one I had, shortly before I left. I thought you might like to have it. That other spot? It's for a family photo. Now get dressed, we're leaving." 

"What?"

"Mustang, Recka and I put something together for you today, and you're going to wear the stuff we gave you and be happy. Come on."

"You guys, it's too early! I… appreciate it but… I can't go with you."

"Ed, grab her things. Recka, come on." Before she knew what she was doing, she was off the bed, in her nightgown, flung over the Colonel's shoulder. "To the Flame mobile!"

Recka giggled, grabbing hold of his pants leg as the Flame led the way from the room.

"You are such a dumbass, Roy." Fullmetal commented, grinning as he held the dress, watch and locket Rose dropped in her surprise, following behind the three. "Besides, I thought it was the Fullmetal mobile."

"Ha, like hell it is. It's my car, dammit, I'll call it what I want."

"But, Rooooy!"

"Not that face!"

"You guys are the worst fricking kidnappers in history!" Rose cried, flailing against the man, half-heartedly. She wasn't exactly sure that she wanted to fight, really. It was four in the morning, she was tired, and she found all of this… amusing, to be sure.

"I know, he's so loud, isn't he? Ed, you need to shush." Of course, that was then he started giggling again, which really made her question his sanity, or rather, his sobriety.

"Will you stop that? You sound like a chick." Ed snorted, hand reaching up to cover his mouth in his horrible attempts to mask an onslaught of giggles all his own. Not chuckling, not chortling, not laughing/giggling/. They really weren't all there, were they?

"What did you two get into?"

"Pony had like… three pots of coffee this morning."

"And Femme ate an entire bowl of sugar. You know that really big bowl you generally keep the flour in? After a bit of a mishap with the flour, I had to go and get some more, but I bought sugar instead and well… this happened."

She couldn't help herself. At first, she had intended it to be a derisive snort, but it soon grew from a small chuckle, to a giggle, that erupted into full blown laughter. She wasn't sure what to say or do, but it was quite obvious that the three of them were having the time of their lives, high off of sugar and caffeine.

"Wecka had candee!" She disrupted, tugging on Roy's sleeve.

Roy chuckled softly, opening the door that led to the marvelous world of 'outside', Ed skipping ahead to open the car door, Roy tossing the girl in the backseat. "Pin her! She must not be allowed to escape!"

"You guys are insane!"

"Insane, maybe, but you need to be kidnapped. They don't do anything good for that pretty little head of yours." Ed pointed out, pinning her to the seat, Recka climbing in behind him and closing the door.

Roy, to make sure they were all safe, especially from a Rose trying to escape from an Edward's clutches, locked all the doors, pulling away in the car that was 'his', but easily recognized from the cigarette 'brand' in the ashtray as the one that Havoc usually transported Roy in.

"You /stole/ the military's vehicle?"

"Stole is such a strong word. I prefer to say 'borrowed, with little intention on returning'. Doesn't that sound a bit nicer?"

"They'll question what happened to it and investigate."

"I'll crash it in a ditch, claim an accident and whiplash and get a bit of time off work, maybe a vehicle of my own, to sweeten the deal."

"That'd be nice." Ed remarked, shifting his weight so he was straddling her hips. "You could use some time off, you're starting to look old."

"Watch it, Fullmetal." The elder snapped, the wheel almost slipping from his grasp, earning him a few diminutive screams in his ears.

The blonde smirked, leaning towards the front seat and placing a small kiss on the man's ear, producing a desired shiver from the fellow alchemist. "Come on, you don't look old at all, grumpy. Don't let that ruin everything. Just get some sleep when we get home, all right?"

"I would sleep if you didn't gnaw."

"I don't /gnaw/."

"What would you call it?"

"Ed gets hungee in his sweep!" Recka cheered.

Roy grunted in amusement, shaking his head and pulling to a stop outside of the girl's previous home. She had no idea what this was about, why they were there, or, really, what was going on, but she knew that she wanted to sleep, and Ed, grinding as he moved to reassure the other man that he wasn't 'old', certainly wasn't helping the situation, a blush rising to her cheeks as she tried to repress her desire to express that the movements, were in fact, rather… nice. Roy would probably kill her if she made any moves on Ed. He seemed to be the fairly… hell, why sugar coat it? He was a severely jealous sort of man with not only the fiery temper, but actual fire spouting from his fingertips to back up any threat he could make. It was never wise to piss off a Mustang.

"Recka, your job is to go inside, make sure the leather belts and chains are out, and my devices – "

"Roy!" Rose started squirming again, flush only deepening at the suggestive sound in his voice, and the possibilities that he could have had lurking around that place. It was not something that she wanted to, or thought Recka, should witness.

"He's kidding, Rose." Ed sighed, dragging her from the car, and punching Roy with his automail fist as the other followed them from the vehicle. "At least he /better/ be kidding."

"Damn, Ed, I thought you wanted a threesome." He muttered, rubbing at the bruise he could feel forming.

"Mustang!" Both Rose and Ed glared at the man, temporarily forgetting the girl who had been 'abducted' to focus on the perverse man, all the while trying to hide the blushes that refused to stay hidden.

Roy chuckled, grabbing one arm each of the two and nodding Recka inside. "Come on, let's start the day out with a nice homemade breakfast."


	3. Part Three

Part three of eight

* * *

They had… become so happy since she had left. Roy seemed so relaxed, he /giggled/ (which was a frightening thought in itself), and he had more of a smile in place than she could ever remember. Ed was calmer, more into the home life, and enjoying every laughing moment he got, not being driven by the stone or his brother completely. He took his time enjoying life, though they all knew that he would be leaving soon. And Recka? She seemed to be the glue that she, at one point, thought herself to be. This day, her birthday, right? It was supposed to be a happy day, but the more she watched the three of them goof off, the more she wanted to be away. She didn't bring them that happiness, Recka did. 

"Dammit, Pony, I can't reach!" Ed's voice broke her thoughts, trying to reach his nose with his tongue, where Roy apparently left a bit of powdered sugar on his nose.

"Oh? That's such a shame, Femme." Roy commented, smirking as he reached over and started to 'paint' lines on Recka's face. "You are now Princess Kitty."

"Where do you come up with this stuff?" Ed muttered, sticking a finger into the powdered sugar bowl.

"You drove away my sanity. It's all your fault, but if I was sane, I'd be boring, so let's drop the plea for sanity for now and get on with it?"

Ed laughed lightly, poking at the sausage. "All right, all right."

Roy put swirls on Ed's cheeks, tapping him with the wooden spoon. "And you are hereby to be referred to as 'Femme le Butterscotch'!"

"You are so dead."

"Your chief has spoken, Femme!" The eldest retorted, turning away from Ed as the blonde tried to stick his finger in the sugar again. "Why don't you initiate our other Princess, Queen?"

"You are dead, Mustang!"

"Rooose! Make him stop!"

"You guys!"

"I'll show you Queen!"

"My sugar!"

"Wait!"

The two mean stopped, in a rather suggestive position, Recka now standing on a chair and poking at the sausages that had been forgotten by the feuding boys. Roy handed the sugar to Ed, the blonde moved, taking it as a 'no kidding, move' order and slipped over by Rose.

The Colonel swept the girl off the chair, took the fork, and poked at them himself. "Never do that, you shouldn't be standing on the furniture."

"But…"

"No buts, you could have hurt yourself. Fire hurts."

"But I wanna!"

"Quiet. I said no. If you get hurt, you'll hurt Ed and Roy's feelings. So don't do that all right? You can help by coloring Rose a picture for her birthday, how's that? It would make her feel lots better."

Recka watched him carefully, the tears that had been assembling in her eyes at being scolded quickly subsided as the eldest Mustang set her on her feet and moved off to find some paper and the crayons that she had just been bought. He sighed to himself, going back to the food on the burners of the stove, allowing himself to focus on that. Recka was a helpful little girl, probably afraid to be left behind, as her parents once did, but he wasn't /that/ cold hearted. He couldn't leave anyone, let alone young girls that Rose and Recka had been, by themselves, on the streets to suffer a cold and cruel fate.

Ed watched the girl toddle off, smiling to himself. "Momma Mustang."

"Watch it, Femme le Butterscotch, or the sausage will be the last thing you see when I gouge your eyes out."

"Won't stop me from calling you 'Momma'."

"Then I'll pour this boiling hot grease over that tongue. Maybe it'll teach you."

"So violent, and with two lovely young women in our presence. Damn, Mustang, I thought you had some manners." Ed replied slyly, dipping his hand in the powdered sugar again and drawing on Rose's face. "Princess Rosebud, how's that?"

Roy smirked, beginning to pull the food from the stove. "Perfect, Queen Femme."

"Augh, you asshole!"

"Watch your mouth, Fullmetal, there's a child and a woman in the house." Of course, the dark-haired man hadn't really cared about what Ed thought, and the swearing they were pretty much used to, but it never hurt to remind him.

The blonde took the plates of food that had been offered, setting the table, and allowing Recka to help (since she had miraculously finished the picture she drew for Rose and handed it to her at that time) to set things that she had a much smaller chance of hurting herself down, on the table.

They settled around, Rose's eyes falling on the picture Recka had drew, stick figures wearing clothes with blotches of color on their heads, what she supposed to be their hair and different colored dots for eyes. The child was intelligent, more than she thought of someone her age (not that she actually knew). Elysia was another that was a bit smart as well, and it never seized to amaze her how well kids were being raised, especially this girl under the care of Edward Elric, the man who attracted trouble called homunculi and chimera, and Roy Mustang, the man usually thought to be incapable of true emotion.

_You did that._

The voice that she always thought would be true, the one that heavily reminded her of her mother had said that at least three times since she had been there, watching their antics.

**-Not I. Recka did…-**

_Who do you think opened them up to such ideals?_

**-They always had it.-**

_You sell yourself short, child. You made them happy, made them realize it. They came because they cared._

**-I don't know…-**

_Things take time…_


	4. Part Four

Part Four of Eight

* * *

_You did that._

The voice that she always thought would be true, the one that heavily reminded her of her mother had said that at least three times since she had been there, watching their antics.

**-Not I. Recka did…-**

_Who do you think opened them up to such ideals?_

**-They always had it.-**

_You sell yourself short, child. You made them happy, made them realize it. They came because they cared._

**-I don't know…-**

_Things take time…_

"Princess Rosebud!" There was a definite frown on the grown man's face, eyes narrowed as he glared across the table. "It can't be /that/ bad. I followed Glacier's recipe to the letter."

She blinked, glancing down at the food she had unconsciously began to eat, quickly shaking her head, allowing a sad smile to lift her lips. "No, Taisa, it's good… it's not that."

"Ha, I /can/ cook."

"Of course you can /Momma/." Ed snorted, poking at the man's lips with a bit of sausage. Roy took it, a warning glance at the alchemist beside him who moved onto Recka, and finally Rose. Recka took it with a small giggle, finding it enjoyable to be fed by one of the three favorite people she had at the moment, but Rose shifted away.

"Ed…"

"Come on, take it. If Flaming Pony can do it, you can too."

"I'm not your lover."

"Neither is Recka. It's bad enough that Roy molested me; wanna make me a creepy rapist, too or something?"

"Ed!" Pale cheeks turned a violent red, the fork almost slipping from his fingers. Recka had no idea what was going on, but let it go, chomping down on her waffles, drowning in maple syrup. Rose and Ed, however, found it quite amusing. Roy and blushing were two things that never really appeared together in the same entity before, so this was an entirely new thing.

"Come on, Pony, we all know you're a pedo – "

"Ed!" He hissed again, eyes dropping to his food. This really was not the way that it should have been.

"If it makes you feel any better, you have the stamina of a twenty year old."

"It doesn't!"

"Oh. That's fine then. I love you anyway."

"You had better hope I don't find my gloves after last night…"

"Aw, did I hurt Pony's feelings?"

"Pony's going to get up and kick your ass."

Rose coughed, hiding her giggle, albeit pretty obvious she was finding this to her pleasure at their expense.

"So eat it Rose."

Roy had somehow regained his composure, familiar smirk set as he turned in his seat. "Or… we could move onto the torture."

"T… torture?"

"Tickle torture."

"Give it to me Ed!"

Both men turned away, more childish giggling escaping regardless of their attempts to cover such embarrassing sounds coming from them. "Well, Rose, I suppose if Pony doesn't mind…"

"Like hell you will, Ed. I'll have to be present. You know, to watch, in case you actually start to /like/ anyone but me."

"You guys!"

At the gaping mouth, the sausage was shoved into her mouth, the two 'gentlemen' going back to their meals. She chewed slowly, watching their little family. How long had they been up? Some of this had to be from delirium from sleep deprivation, and their intakes of sugar and caffeine. It didn't make much sense, really, but that was all right. And… how did they get past security to come steal her away? Sheila and Sane, and well, just about anyone who had been friendly with her mother had a dislike for Roy, moreso than Ed, she figured, of course not putting aside that they had a great dislike for Ed as well, so they certainly would have killed the two of them for breaking and entering. It was… confusing. It was almost as if they wanted them to come, or expected it, and found that a fight would be pointless.

It was now six in the morning, as they finished, Roy and Ed already drooping against the table, a big splotch of maple syrup on the Colonel's cheek from continuously missing his mouth, and Ed with a bit of waffle stuck to his forehead when his head had collided with his plate. Recka, the energetic little ball tugged at Rose's sleeve. "Dey need sweep."

Rose grinned. She was right, watching Ed drop his slice of bacon and the two kittens, which she was allergic to, skitter out and begin to fight over it, while a soft snore came from Roy's direction, mouth open wide and eyes in a half-lidded state. "I think that sugar and caffeine is wearing off. Come on, let's make them a bed in here. I don't think I can carry the two of them to bed."

Recka nodded eagerly, following Rose to the men's bedroom, grabbing a mat, two pillows and a blanket, knowing they had no reservations about sharing. As much as she cared for the blonde, as long as they were happy, she could be as well. That was her entire purpose, really. Setting the mat and pillows down, she washed their faces as she was wont to do, guiding, with the help of the little girl, the two of them mat, covered them with the blanket and sighed to herself. Her allergies had caught up to her, having done her best to resist the sneezes up until that point, but no longer able to do so, violently sneezing into her hand. Well, she had done excellent to that point, but she couldn't stay any longer. They were sleeping, there was no need to.

Fullmetal immediately began seeking warmth, which the Flame was quite eager to give, the two of them snuggling close, her hand finding its way to run, first, through Ed's bangs, and then towards her Uncle's well cared for, but strangely messy hair at times. There were times like that she desperately wished to join that cuddle circle, have Roy or Ed sing her a song to help her sleep, to be wrapped in strong arms and reassured she'd never be alone. But that was far from the truth, and staying anywhere near the kittens wouldn't allow her any sleep.

Recka tugged on Rose's sleeve again. "Wawk?"

"Hmn?" Rose questioned, wiping away the water building up in her eyes, more from allergies, she preferred to think, then the image that she was left out on.

"Can we wawk? Tawk?"

The rosy headed girl nodded, watching Roy pounce on Chocolate, the obvious dominator of the bacon before the kitten chewed it in half, nudging one part toward the lighter furred one with his nose. Roy just had to prove he was the better one was all, a pride thing that she certainly understood well. "Yeah."


	5. Part Five

Part Five of Eight.

* * *

"Yoo wook sad a wot. Sumfin wong?" 

Her eyes fell to the child, again, the sad smile surfacing. "I envy you."

"En… vy?"

"Yeah. You have some of the best guys in the world."

"Woy an' Ed wove yoo too!"

"They feel guilty. There's a difference."

A determined air surrounded the girl, her hand taking Rose's and pulling on it to stop her. "No! Yoo hafta stay! Dey want yoo too! Dey miss yoo. Woy not happee… Ed not happee."

Rose glanced at her, the sun rising about them in a fiery blast, the fog that hung heavy on the streets beginning to lift with each passing moment. The cool air started to warm, and the dew on the lawns of the neighbors begin to drip to the ground, the scent of a dew-filled morning as people began to wake up for work or school being disrupted by routine. "Maybe…"

"Dey does! I wive wiff 'em."

"Come on. We should clean up. They are hopeless with messes."

Recka nodded, swinging Rose's arm, a wide smile upon her face.

* * *

Roy gave a placid groan, nuzzling the tuft of hair that had to be Ed's the scent of cinnamon emitted from the body beside him reminding him all the more as to why he couldn't get enough of the strange spice whenever Ed was gone, learning to make snickerdoodles from Glacier just to have a reason as to why the kitchen radiated the smell of cinnamon.

The sun began to peek through the kitchen window, landing on the blonde whose back was turned to it, but offering Roy no mercy from the beautiful golden rays that attacked, demanding he get up. With another groan, this one more annoyed than the calm one earlier, he buried his face in the head of hair, taking a deep, relaxing breath and snuggling the other body, ignoring the chill that the cool metal Fullmetal's arm had caused. Rose and Recka had slipped his mind, Rose's birthday had been forgotten, and the plans he had made to spend the day with his three favorite people alive that day were all lost in the foggy depths of his mind and the scent that never seemed to get old…

He cracked open an eye, peering at the blonde curiously. There was a time that Ed wasn't even there, that Rose had been the one to cuddle with him whenever either of them had a nightmare and needed comfort. When Ed and Rose ended… it really was all his fault they never got back together. He had had taken Fullmetal into his arms and refused to let go. All of this happened… because /he/ had /stolen/ Ed. All the times he had told her 'anyone but Ed!' and, in the end, it was he who was going around stealing boyfriends, the Fullmetal Alchemist from his loving niece, no less.

He deserved to be happy, he told himself, and Ed wasn't exactly happy believing he had been a replacement, but at the expense of another… was it all that fair? Kari was gone, Hughes had been stripped away, and though he harbored some friendly feelings towards Hawkeye, there wasn't anything there that would prove to be nothing more than a one-night stand or a small fling. Ed had come to him a few days before Christmas, and it was now April. That, next to the relationship he had with Hughes since they were young, was the longest one he had ever had. Anything in between the two were flings, passing breezes in the wind. To be honest, he was proud of himself. He would have usually gotten tired of the current bedmate and moved on, afraid for commitment. Of course, Ed wouldn't let him go that easily either.

This day? It was his way of making amends to things that he hadn't even told Ed at that point. It wasn't Ed's fault he had practically replaced Rose, the one who had been able to lull him back to sleep after Hughes' death, the one that made him happy, though there were times he refused to show it, and the one who made his life that much easier with companionship, even being just a relative, for someone he constantly fought with. There was shame to be had in that. He could never deny all that Rose did, the moments that he needed her and she wasn't there, and decided… it was time to apologize. Roy Mustang couldn't stand apologizing, it was a damn weakness and words like 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' were pointless if you said them too much. He didn't like sap. Romance was fine, but there was a fine line between annoying sap and romantic sap, and he did his best to stray from that line. "Ed…"

The blonde next to him snuggled closer, brows rising momentarily with a small hum being voiced to show that he was at least semi-listening. He was quite content staying there, but if Ed was awake, it was surely time to get up.

"Femme le Butterscotch."

"Dammit, Flaming Pony…"

"That is not your chief's name. You'll refer to him by 'Squanto'."

"What the hell?"

"I don't know, I read it somewhere in one of those books Rubens dropped by for Rose."

"You're Flaming Pony/chief/, and you're going to like it."

"Wait…"

"Rose!"

The two sat up, finding themselves surprised by the mat that Roy forgot he owned and the nice 'bed' that had been set up for the two to sleep on. Neither one remembered ever falling asleep in the first place. The kittens, who had made a home between Roy's legs slipped away, shooting glares at the two of them for disturbing their sleep. Behind a person's knee was one of the best places to curl up, and since one of Ed's was metal, Roy had been the likely choice.

"Are you two done being sleepy heads?" Blue eyes peered around the corner, rosy locks pulled back into a style similar to Hawkeye's, coming into view wearing the dress that had been given to her that morning, the locket around her neck and the pocket watch on her hip, two loops having been built in sometime during their nap to hold it.

Both men remained speechless, little Recka waddling out in her own version of it, a deeper blue in color to match her dusky eyes. Roy grinned, standing from his seat and dragging a rather heavy Edward with him, nodding to them. "All right. Let Femme and I get ready, then we can go. You didn't say anything, did you Recka?"

"Nope! Seekwet!" The girl replied, beaming with pride.

Ed nodded, petting her on the head as the two passed, moving up stairs to shower and change.


	6. Part Six

Part six of eight.

* * *

"A picnic?" Rose inquired, watching the boys fill up two baskets. "Romantic. What did you need me to stay here for if the two of you were going to have a romantic day away?" 

"Because we want you to watch when we have sex in the park." Ed muttered in annoyance. It was quite clear that she was coming with them; he figured she was either being the sarcastic Mustang that came with her bloodline, or was just being difficult.

Roy nudged him playfully, a strange glint in his eyes as he looked back to the young girl, cutting the crust off of Recka's sandwich. He was dealing with the heavier foods, while Ed was shoving snacks and candies in the other. "You're coming with us. Recka too. We've got something to show you."

She frowned, head tilting to the side as she watched the three of them grin to themselves, Roy's work finished before grabbing a third basket and handing it to Recka. "Come on." He took up a fourth container, rustling with bottles and cans inside, catching Rose's sudden discomfort. "It's juice and water, Rose. I wouldn't bring booze with me for a picnic."

She nodded, giving him a small smile as the three led the way back into the car.

* * *

The sun shone through the clouds, a rather comfortable temperature for a nice picnic. A light breeze floated through, ruffling the loose clothing and hair in its weak gust. The aroma of flowers like those of lilacs and daises followed through, a small amount of water still in the air from that morning remaining to add further effect to the serene atmosphere.

"We'll only stay here for a little while. I didn't want us to dwell too long." Roy's voice alerted, a solemn note to the usually confident one that they relied on. Shutting the door behind him, he crossed the street, towards the cemetery that had become a frightening sight. What were they doing there?

"Taisa…?" Her voice sounded small and foreign. She didn't want to be reminded of Uncle Hughes' death, not at the moment. He was gone from their lives, what did the visit bring, but further heartbreak?

His face was stony, jaw set as he pushed forward, only one goal set in mind as he climbed the hill, ignoring any questions that had been brought up. Of course, the others knew, but she would soon find out. While it wasn't entirely a happy experience, it was something he found that he, and Rose, needed. It was time to close the death that happened quite some time ago. It was another moment before he stopped at the top of the hill, eyes half-lidded as he peered closely at the grave marker before their group. "Ed did this… for us. Last week was Kari's birthday, a hard day for you, I'm sure. I hadn't even realized he knew anything, or was interested in it until he brought me here. I wanted to bring you here so you could have a seat for a little while and do what you wanted. Her remains might not be here, but it still works as a memorial site. Next year, we can gather here, with her friends and have a proper memorial service, how does that sound?" He didn't bother to look at her as he spoke, stooping down and going through the basket to pull out a single slice of cake and a candle, setting them before the grave and glancing at the young girl. "Why don't you light it?"

Rose stared at him, wide-eyed. He and Ed had done such a wonderful job so far, their crazy antics due to highs and sleep deprivation, and the wonderful breakfast, and the planned picnic… and now they even had a place that they could come and visit, pay their respects without taking a train ride to the home where it had all ended. This was all nice, so very nice; more of a birthday than she had ever expected. The two of them were trying so hard; she could put aside the past, even if it was just for that day and enjoy it. She smiled through the tears that threatened, stepping up and taking the matches from her Uncle while Ed pulled him away, the two merely watching her back. Recka sat down, blinking curiously. She didn't know who Kari was, but she knew it made Roy sad to think about, and Ed always became gloomy when Roy was upset. She really didn't like to see them in anything but their happy moods.

Ed sat down, pulling Roy down with him, running his left hand through the other male's hair, eyes on Rose's back while she sat there, and looking as if she was praying. He had always claimed to be atheist, that God was unscientific and that there really was no point in believing in someone who would bring such tragedy to people, but he found himself, everyday, waking up with people who appreciated him, whether it had been Rose, Aru, Recka or Roy, and thanking that 'unscientific' being for what he had. "It's all right, you know."

"What is?"

Ed grinned, knowing that the same little bout would come from it. Roy had this 'no cry' policy built into his thick skull, and no matter what Ed told him, Roy refused to admit that he needed to. No one could be strong all the time without it, not even he was able to do it. He broke down very few times, but he allowed himself to. Nina's death… the attack from Barry… when he thought Lust was going to kill Aru, just for the stone… they were times he felt helpless and wanted to cry. He just needed to soften the stone beside him. Even Roy had to break down, once in a while. "You know what."

"I'm not the one who deserves to." As far as Roy saw it, crying was a sign of weakness. Anything could be considered a weakness. Ed claimed it to be a way to strengthen oneself, but what did crying over something really get you? He'd come close, at Hughes' funeral, and a couple times during the war, when things were a lot easier to effect him, but nothing definite. He was a Mustang; he would stick by his decision to be firm and strong…

The blonde's grin only grew as the 'stronger' of the two rested his head against the flesh shoulder, allowing the fingers to continue their work. While he wouldn't break down, not in front of them, at least, he did acknowledge he felt like it, which was a step up. It was when the elder girl's shoulders began to shake that he was pulled from his daze.

"Go on." Roy indicated Rose with a slight nod of his head in her direction, pulling away to allow Ed to do so, Recka immediately seeking refuge in the man's lap.

Fullmetal nodded, not complaining about the command from his lover and slipped his arms around the girl, placing a tender kiss on her neck. "It's all right."

"You guys… you guys don't." She protested, raising a hand to rub her eyes.

"Roy's a stubborn jackass, and I do, sometimes. Just let go. You deserve. Even he said so."

In spite of her efforts, Rose couldn't resist it any longer; turning in his embrace and burying her face in the chest she had sought shelter in many times before. It wasn't just her mother, or lack thereof, but perhaps she felt she had to cry for him too, and the loss of Ed, the loss of Roy, Hughes' death and the new life that was absent of what she had hoped would come about when she learned she had an Uncle out there. She cried tears of joy, of sadness, of helplessness and frustration, and even tears not having a true purpose at all. Things that had built up over the time flowed, and the people she needed most were there to help them pour.

"Woy?" Recka asked, poking his cheek, head cocked to the side as she watched him. "Why is Wose cwyin'?"

Roy's gaze fell to the child, a thoughtful expression replacing his cheerless one. "She misses her mom. You miss yours too, don't you? Wouldn't you like to cry because you miss them?"

She nodded, still watching him curiously. "Why don't yoo cwy?"

"Just because you can't see my tears, does not mean I am not crying, Recka."

"Woy sad?"

"Perhaps."

"Den yoo shoodent hide 'em. Yoo shood cwy too."

"You think so?"

"Wecka does!"

"Maybe I will."

"Good!"

He grinned, stare lifting from the girl, pulling her to his chest and hugging her, which, if anyone repeated what they saw he would deny, and watched the other two. Such wisdom in the girls he was always surrounded by. Maybe listening to them, and his Femme, would make things easier, and end the nagging at the same time.


	7. Part Seven

Part seven of eight.

* * *

It was another hour before Rose had pulled away, taking a small nap. Recka had also, the cake that they brought for Kari's belated birthday party still sitting before the marker. Roy finally pushed up from the ground, careful not to wake the small girl. "She can nap while we head to our last destination. You can too, Rose, if you'd like. I think you earned it." 

Ed and Rose stood, the young girl nodding while her ex retrieved the basket that Roy had originally carried, turning and following the eldest from the cemetery and back to the car. They had spent more time there than they intended, but they didn't have much that would spoil, not really. The only thing that was meat were the left over sausage and bacon that Ed wanted on a sandwich, and the juice and water would have warmed slightly, but nothing to truly worry themselves over.

Rose climbed into the backseat, taking Recka into her lap as Roy set her into the car, drifting off almost as soon as she sat down. Roy and Ed took the front seats, the couple exchanging an eloquent smile as Mustang pulled away from the side of the road to the last place they were going.

* * *

The sound of waves pulled her from her tranquil dreams, a squeal as the child sat up, gazing over the window as she took in the sight of the terrain outside. While there was no sand, considering Amestris was surrounded by land and the closest bodies of water that could be used for entertainment were lakes, it was still a very nice sight to behold. Trees lined the edges, the sun in the west, declaring that it was beginning to get late in the day. The windows had been rolled down, just to taunt their senses with the smell of fresh water, distant birds making undeniable sounds that really were beautiful, and the cabin that caught her eyes was small, but remarkable.

"Taisa? Ed?"

"It's something I managed to con the military into paying. I told them it was for research, there's a hot spring near by, and I told them that the water was rich in minerals." The blonde replied with a devilish smirk in place. Leave it to the hero of the people to come up with something like that. "I mean, it's true, but still, I thought it would be nice, not only to bring the two of you, but Pony as well. We all know that he needs to wind down. I swear, sometimes it looks like he sits with a stick up his ass."

"I can thank /you/ for that, Femme le Butterscotch." The other pointed out, his own smirk rising.

"I thought we dropped those names!"

"What do you think Princesses Kitty and Rosebud? Do you like that nickname for Fullmetal?"

"Wecka does!" The girl bounced, waving her hand.

Rose giggled, nodding her reply. "I think it fits."

"Then you're staying Flaming Pony!"

"I didn't agree to that!"

"Recka and Rose agree to that too!"

Again, both girls raised their hands in agreement.

"Traitors!"

"Aw, does Flaming Pony not like his name?"

Roy returned with the childish action of sticking his tongue out at the youth, bringing the car to a halt, once more, on the side of the road. "Come on, let's go, I'm hungry."

Rose never bothered to point out quite a few of the people she knew called him that, or the fact that it fit him so well. It was fine, really. It was all in a joking manner, right?

Ed set up the blanket on the grass, close to the lake but not close enough to feel the chill of the water and winds. Apparently, they had plans after their late lunch to play in the water a little bit. Roy set out the foods he had made, which, really was a surprise to her. He had started to fill in where she left off, and it was a lot better than the time she remembered he had first cooked for her. 'Momma Mustang' was opening quite well in him. And he said he didn't like kids…

"Glacier's been teaching me some excellent recipes. They're a tad difficult, but I think you'll like the most difficult one that I've done on my own." He commented, stuffing a cookie he made in his mouth. Rose and Recka followed suit while Ed tossed off his jacket, eagerly snatching a few up and nibbling on them. He always pounced on any cookies, cakes or sweets that he could find.

"You've been doing well." The girl said offhandedly.

"Yes. Call a girl a whore and you get strange classes that tell you how to be more considerate and 'feminine'. Still, I can't rely on you forever. Anyway, none of this would have been possible without it. You have had fun so far, right?"

"I have. Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How did you manage to get through to get me at four in the morning?"

"We walked through the front door." He said with an implied shrug, putting the last of the cookie he had been eating at the moment in his mouth. He looked like some dumbass kid who found it all very hilarious, to her, but it was strange.

"Through the front door?"

Ed shrugged as well, eating his sandwich quietly. "We didn't really plan on how we were going to get you until two o' clock this morning. We thought you might have come by earlier, so we didn't worry. You didn't, so we just did what came into our not-so-smart heads at the time. Walking through the front door was one of them."

"Didn't you worry about Sheila and Sane?"

"Not really." Roy answered, picking apart a cookie and stealing the nuts and chocolate chips before shoving the small bits of cookie into his mouth. "Recka was with us, and whatever grudge they hold against us wouldn't matter when facing a child. They had some decency, I'll give them that."

Recka was busy eating her sandwich, grinning happily at the three of them, jelly covering her chin. When she was finished, she jumped up and started pulling the blonde's braid, begging to go in the water. He smiled, standing up, pouring some water from a bottle onto a napkin and began cleaning the girl's chin. "Yeah, I'll sit there with you for a little while." He encouraged, directing her to the cabin.

Roy pushed to his feet as well, speaking when the two of them had disappeared inside. "If it makes you feel anymore welcome, Rose, I missed you. Ed is nice… but there are times that only you can help. I'm not asking you to come home; it would be unjust of me to… I just want you to know, your room is still there. Recka took the one Ed had built on for us. The one you had will always be yours and Kari's, and, I hope to pass it on to you, for your future family." He turned, not an apology that he had meant to give out leaving his mouth. "I'll be right back."

And, at that moment, an apology didn't matter, because though the direct words never left his mouth, she knew he was, and there was no need for it.


	8. Part Eight

The final part.

* * *

"I think she just denied the greatness of the lake, Femme le Butterscotch!" Roy said with a look of surprise and mock offence upon his face. 

Ed wiggled, sitting upon a sort of boat he had made with left over firewood behind the cabin. While he wouldn't have minded climbing in the water, Roy was busy with Recka, helping to teach her to swim, despite how anxious he seemed to be. Ed never bothered to ask why, but he was fairing well. His automail didn't allow him to swim much, and Roy and Recka refused to stay closer inland, so he couldn't just stay on the shore. "She did, Flaming Pony! We must punish the non-believer!"

"Stun!" Recka shouted with a childlike liveliness.

"I think you mean 'shun'." Roy corrected, guiding the girl back to the shore and climbing out, Ed not far behind.

"You guys, I don't have a bathing suit." Rose protested, backing away.

"We have Ed, an automatic dryer. Plenty of hot air." Roy replied.

"Shut up, Mustang." Ed murmured.

"Besides. I think you need to get cooled down, hot head." He lunged, grabbing hold of her arm and almost effortlessly lifted her from the ground. "We should sacrifice her to Princess Kitty, don't you think?"

Ed smirked, crossing his arms. "I agree."

"Guys, put me down!" She shrieked, wiggling yet muffling her laughter with a failed effect.

"No! Princess Rosebud owes her allegiance to her tribe and must be tossed in the /cold/ lake of… uh…"

"Fie!" Came Recka's cheery voice.

"Yes, fire! Watery fire!"

"No! Taisa, don't! If it's cold, don't!"

"It's refreshing!"

"Doooon't!"

"Aw." Roy set her on her feet, almost looking disappointed. "How can I say no to that voice?"

She glanced down, finding herself about mid-thigh deep in water, sighing to herself. "You got this dress all wet now."

"I can!" Ed lurched forward, before Roy could say another word and knocked Rose off her feet, both disappearing beneath the small waves.

Recka, standing on the shore, broke into a set of giggles to rival even those that Ed and Roy had that morning.

Rose surfaced shortly after Ed, glaring at the two of them as her hair, too heavy for the clip, fell out of place, ice blue dress darker now. The water was actually comfortable, she realized, glancing to the horizon as the sun began to set. "You guys are assholes!"

Roy and Ed remained amused, and soon, her will to fight them died, bursting into laughter. It wasn't an evil one, or one of frustration, which, the tense air between the two relaxed when they discovered it was one of delight. It was nice to see her smile and laugh. She splashed water at the two of them, the mischievous glint in her eye that they knew all too well. The elder Mustang retrieved Recka and they continued to play for quite some time, at least until they began shivering, and it was decided they go in.

* * *

"I don't think this day could get any better." The rosy headed girl sighed in satisfaction.

"We do have one last thing for you, Rosebud." Ed stated, pulling out the basket that had gone untouched since the trip to the cemetery. Inside was a cake, chocolate frosting with strawberries that looked pretty fresh on top, her name in red. "Pony, Recka and I put it together. It's your birthday cake."

She glanced between them all before jumping at Roy, arms slipping around him. She told herself she couldn't forgive him, but she found herself enjoying his company now more than ever. However, he pushed on her shoulders, shaking his head. "Recka and Ed helped out as well. If it hadn't been for Recka, none of this would have been possible. I think you should thank them."

"Woy!"

The other frowned, glancing at the small girl. "What?"

"Can Wecka haff sum jooce?"

Ed chortled, grabbing the girl a small box of juice, handing it to her. "There. Now let's have some cake!"

The four of them settled into the bed of the two room cabin, only one bed inside, made for a couple, at the most, to live in for any period of time. Roy had taken to Recka, yawning to himself. "Good night, my Princesses." He muttered, allowing Rose to cuddle with Ed, despite his better judgment to steal both away. Ed was behind him (Roy was on his side), and Rose on the other side of Ed.

"Night Taisa." Rose wished, looking up. It was quite obvious he hadn't heard, but that was quite all right. Recka mumbled a goodnight, leaving just her and Ed away, and the blonde was fading fast. She gave a doting smile to the three of them, leaning over to place kisses on both Recka and Roy's cheeks while a quick one fell on Ed's lips. "Good night, my princes…"

* * *

"Why did you let them come? I could have killed them and been done with it."

The female smirked. "Don't you think… they deserve another chance?"

"But… that's not like you!"

"No, it may not be, but I think… that Muffinpants has become worthy of another chance. Recka is happy, is she not? Of all the people I thought would pick her up, they were the least likely pair, but she's growing so well. I can't deny the facts."

The male gave a small whine, wiggling on his seat, a rock that really didn't belong there. "I guess you're right…"

"Besides, if he did anything outside of making her happy, we would have killed him for it. She hasn't laughed like that… well, I don't remember."

"Yeah. Come on, I'm hungry. Following them all day has really gotten to me."

* * *

I hope you liked, Princess! I worked hard on it for you! 


End file.
